Which geomorphic feature is least likely to be associated with landslide activity?

• A. Shutter ridges
• B. Talus slopes
• C. Slump features
• D. Earthflows

Answer: (A)

Landslide activity tends to produce features directly tied to mass wasting: rotational movement that leaves scarps and benches (slump features), debris accumulating at the base of cliffs (talus slopes from rockfall), and flowing, lobate deposits on the slope (earthflows). Shutter ridges are typically formed by tectonic faulting or glacial sculpting, not by the downslope movement of earth and rock. Because they stem from structural or erosional processes rather than a landslide, shutter ridges are least likely to be associated with landslide activity. The other features—slump scars, talus piles, and earthflow lobes—are common, recognizable outcomes of landsliding.